Burnham must stand up to Trump and reject new oil fields, following wildfires
Andy Burnham must reject Rosebank and Jackdaw rather than abandon Labour’s climate promises to appease Donald Trump, says Scottish Greens climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP.
The call follows devastating wildfires in the Cairngorms and a warning, from more than 50 British climate scientists, that approving the two fields would undermine the UK’s climate commitments.
It also comes as Andy Burnham claimed he told Donald Trump he was being ‘pragmatic’ about the North Sea, following their phone call, where Donald Trump claimed Burnham told him he would ‘open up the North Sea’.
Mark Ruskell MSP said:
“The devastating fires in the Cairngorms have shown the terrible impact that climate breakdown is already having on our communities, wildlife and emergency services.
“After seeing how lcal communities have been impacted, it is absolutely astonishing that Andy Burnham is considering approving Rosebank and Jackdaw while talking to Donald Trump about ‘opening up’ the North Sea.
“Labour promised voters in 2024 that new oil and gas fields would not cut bills or deliver energy security, and would worsen the climate crisis. Those facts do not change just because Labour is now in government, or because they want to appease climate-deniers like Donald Trump.
“Rosebank and Jackdaw would do nothing to protect Scotland’s energy workers either. We know that 85% of the UK’s economically viable North Sea gas has already been extracted, and Robert Gordon University has warned that another 18,000 offshore energy jobs could be lost by 2035.
“We are already seeing this happening, where after more than 60 years, BP recently announced plans to sell its North Sea operations claiming it no longer made financial sense.
“The signs are for all to see, but what is missing is the action needed from the government. Andy Burnham may claim new oil and gas is ‘pragmatic’ but real pragmatism means preparing for the future, not clinging on to declining industries that wreck our climate and give workers a raw deal.”
Mark added:
“John Swinney and the Scottish Government must face the facts. Calling for tax cuts for some of the richest oil giants is not a credible plan to protect workers and communities, especially during the cost-of-living crisis many families across Scotland are struggling with.
“Instead of tax cuts for fossil fuel giants, we urgently need a plan that uses the powers the Scottish Government has to protect workers for future generations. John Swinney must deliver the energy strategy and just transition Scotland’s workers deserve, and have been promised.
“We need a skills guarantee that allows offshore workers to transfer into secure and long-lasting green jobs, in a renewable energy sector that powers Scotland’s energy and workforce for the long-term.”